... probably not the one you're expecting... (145/365, 25 May 2022)
I am still getting used to the number of hours in my day (week...year...life) that I am reclaiming since handing over the Head of Department reins, now almost two months ago. How long will it take to get used to I wonder?
Today, with no meetings, no work-related chores, nothing in the calendar (it doesn't mean I have nothing to do just, how I spend the day is my own), it seemed like a good day to finish off an article about the Japanese media reporting of the election last Saturday and the Quad visit. Actually, I was committed to finishing the article, it just meant that I had the luxury of opting to stay home to finish it.
For the second time in three days, I started with an early hike to the convenience store to buy up all the papers--this always amuses the staff, they're used to me doing that for Japanese elections now but they did wonder what I was up to this time. (By way of explanation, Japan still has a comparatively healthy print media, with five or six daily papers, morning and evening editions, none owned by Murdoch; and while sales are decreasing as people move to online editions, or like most of my students, don't read them at all, it is still possible to buy them on the way to work.)
Anyway, it turned out the article took a little longer to draft than expected, mainly because the coverage of the election, the Quad meeting and Albanese's international debut was somewhat more comprehensive than I anticipated (and I say that as a long-term Japan-Australia watcher).
By about 6:00pm, with the draft done and filed, I did want to get outside, stretch the legs, breathe a bit. I took the cam to the little park across the way, the 'neighbourhood park' I often refer to, where kids play all day, just to see what I could see.
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| Interesting light |
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| Patterns and tracks |
Actually, although a bit of a luxury, I have to say, taking twenty minutes out just to sit and watch the sparrows was quite a pleasant and settling way to end the day. (Except when I say 'end the day' it really means just have a break before getting back and starting on the next thing, which I will do when I finish this post.) Where did all those hours go again?
Popped over the road with the Canon EOS M5, 18-150mm lens, trying to not look too conspicuous. Never works though, being inconspicuous.
